| Abstract: | Primary health care (PHC) and its commitment to community participation has been integral in the development of health care systems internationally. Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) and its grassroots approach to disability are closely allied with PHC and have adopted many of its principles, including that of participation. This paper briefly reviews the success of community participation with respect to PHC, and then examines the potential of an expanded notion of community participation within the realm of CBR. Although community participation is most often considered in the development and implementation of programmes, more recently, participation is being seen as an essential component of programme evaluation. The ideas presented here will be illustrated with examples from the author's research in Indonesia. As occupational therapy is increasing its focus on community-based practice and research, it is incumbent upon the profession to use the important lessons learned through more than 20 years of PHC, so that the goal of improving the lives of persons with disability world wide can be achieved. |
